Tilting arc device having improved trolley carrier



March 25, 1969 E. c. SCHMIDT TILTING ARC DEVICE HAVING IMPROVED TROLLEYCARRIER Filed March 23. 1966 INVENTOR fpwqeo C. SCHMIDT BY 4,414 7ATTORNEYS United States Patent OfiFice 3,434,612 Patented Mar. 25, 1969U.S. Cl. 214-458 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tilting arc deviceadapted to hold and tilt a container in a vertical plane generallycoinciding with the plane of the arc device, an actuator engaging thearc device for tilting the same and container held thereby, a drivingmechanism for driving the actuator, the driving mechanism having a wheelrotatable on an axis generally disposed on said plane, a chain engagingthe wheel for rotating the same, the chain having portions falling fromthe wheel on opposite sides of said plane to embrace a container held bythe arc device, and guiding means carried by the arc device and slidablyengaging said chain portions, respectively, for providing a bearing forthe chain in side movements of the chain.

My invention relates to tilting are devices and particularly the trolleycarrier portion thereof, and is of the class of United States PatentsNos. 2,399,360 and 3,100,123.

An object of my invention is to provide an improvement upon the tiltingarc device of my United States Patent No. 3,100,123.

Another object is to improve the handling characteristics of such atilting arc device, to aid in its manipulation, to permit readyrevolving of the same on the vertical axis of a supporting chain orcable, to steady the tilting device and drum or container carriedthereby, to provide yieldable resistance against rapid or uncontrolledtilting of the device, and to help in providing increased safety andstability for such tilting arc device.

By means of the improvement, the actuating chain pulled by the operatormay be utilized not only in tilting the arc device but also forembracing the drum or container to steady the same and to enable thedevice with drum or container to be manipulated and laterally moved.

My invention includes means for facilitating the foregoing objects.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view in elevation of a device embodying my invention,and showing a drum clamped thereto in an upright position;

FIGURE 2 is a view somewhat similar to that of FIG- URE 1, and showingmy device and the drum carried thereby in a tilted or dischargingposition;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view partially in section of the improvedtrolley carrier portion of my tilting are device, the section beingtaken through the line 33 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through the line 44 of FIGURE3.

With reference to the several views of the drawings, my device has anarcuate rail 11 made up of rail portions 19 and 20 disposed close toeach other, but with a space 21 therebetween. The rail portions 19 and20 making up the arcuate rail 11 are in the form of an are or segment ofa circle generated around a center indicated by reference character 10in FIGURE 1.

The two parallel rail portions 19 and 20 are joined at spaced intervalsby the U-shaped members 22. At the one end of the rail 11, the :U-shapedmember joining the portions 19 and 20 is somewhat longer and has beendenoted by reference character 22A.

A boom member 12 is disposed radially inward of the curve of the rail 11and in a plane transversing the curve of the rail as illustrated in thedrawings. The boom member 12 is connected at its upper end to a U-shapedmember 22 at that point and is supported and braced in rigid positionrelative to the rail 11 by means of brace members 15, 16, 17 and 18,which in turn are connected at their outer ends to U-shaped members 22.and the U- shaped member 22A at the upper end of the rail 11.

To provide ready means for grasping the rail 11, there is provided ahandle 23 which extends outwardly from the portion 20 near the bottomthereof. Secured to the rail 11 adjacent to the bottom end, as seen inFIGURE 1 is an anchor piece 24 and threadably secured to the anchorpiece 24 is an anchor bolt 25. Secured to the opposite end of the rail11, that is near its upper end, seen in FIG- URE 1, is an anchor piece26 and secured to the anchor piece 26 is an anchor bolt 27. 6

My device, in its preferred form, includes a sprocketchain 28, which hasa plurality of links formed thereon with rollers mounted on thecrosspieces. Such a sprocket chain is commonly referred to as a bicyclechain and is so adapted to be enmeshed with the teeth of a sprocketwheel or gear. One end of the sprocket chain 28, that is, the lowermostend shown in FIGURE 1, is firmly secured to the anchor piece 24 by meansof the anchor bolt 25. The opposite end of the sprocket chain 28, thatis, the end near the upper end of the are 11 shown in FIGURE 1, isfirmly secured to the anchor piece 26 by means of the anchor bolt 27.The sprocket chain 28 is generally of the same length as the rail 11along its length around the curve thereto. As the anchor sprocket chain28 is secured only at its opposite ends to rail 11, it rests upon thethree U- shaped members 22 intermediate of the ends of the rail 11.Thus, as seen in the drawings, the weight of the chain 28 tends to makeit disposed in a series of chords to the arc of the rail 11 between itspoints of support thereon.

A drum or container 14 which it is desired to raise and tilt for dumpingthe contents thereof is secured to my device by means of a clampingmechanism attached to the member 12.

Secured to the bottom end of the boom member 12, in its position shownin FIGURE 1, is a bottom piece 30. Standing up from the bottom piece 30is an arcuate portion 31 which fits within the chime 14A of the drum 14-at the lower end thereof. The fit of the portion 31 with the chime 14Ais such as to firmly hold the drum 14 against lateral displacementrelative to the boom member 12.

A rod 39 is secured to the bottom piece 30 in such a manner that the rod30 extends upwardly therefrom. The upper portion of the rod 39 isthreaded. Aligned with the bottom piece 30, at an elevation above thesame, is a top piece 33. The top piece 33 has an upright portion 33Awhich butts against and slidably engages the boom member 12. The boommember 12 has a longitudinal slot 35 extending therealong and bolts 36and 36A extend through the portion 33A and through the elongated slot35. The

' two bolts 36 and 36A are spaced apart longitudinally of the portion33A and both are slidably mounted within the slot 35 to move withinlimits therein. A plate 37 is secured by nuts on the ends of therespective bolts 36 and 36A in such manner that the plate 37 slidesupwardly and downwardly along the boom member 12 with the bolts 36 and36A and hence with the top member 33 secured to the bolts 36 and 36A.

The inner edge portion 34 of the top piece 33 is in arcuate form andextends downwardly to fit within the chime 1413. At the upper end of thedrum 14, the top piece 33 is moved downwardly to the positionillustrated in FIGURE 1, for example, with the portion 34 disposedadjacent the inner surface of the chime 14B so as to hold the drum 14against lateral movement relative to the boom member 12. A cross bracepiece 38 secured to the boom member 12 and the rod 39 provides means formaintaining the rod 39 upright and parallel to the boom member 12.

A threaded member 41 is threadably secured to the threaded upper end ofthe rod 39 in such manner that rotation of the member 41 moves themember 41 along the rod 39. Extending in wing-like fashion from thethread member 41 are handles 42 provided for ready turning of thethreaded member 41. It is seen that the top piece 33 is slidableupwardly and downwardly along the boom member 12 relative to the bottompiece 30. Upon raising the top piece 33 so as to insert the portion 34inwardly of the drum 14 adjacent to the chime 14B and the portion 31adjacent the chime 14B as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the drum 14 isconfined between parts and 33 and held against displacement. By turningthe threaded member 41 downwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 1,then the top piece 33 is held against sliding upwardly and the drum isfirmly locked in position.

Extending outwardly from the top piece 33 and in the same arcuate shapeas the portion 34 are side extensions 44. Threadably engaged in eachside extension 44 is a bolt 45 having a crank handle 46 at its endremote from the drum 14. By turning the handles 46, the bolts 45 may beturned against the side of the drum 14 and thus to firmly clamp the drum1-4 in position, that is, to hold the chime 14B against the portion 34.

The structure of the trolley carrier 13 is better illustrated in FIGURES3 and 4. The carrier 13 includes a block portion 48 made up of spacedplates welded to filler blocks and portions 49 and 53. The tongueportion 49 welded to the block 48 extends downwardly to within the space21 between the rail portions 19 and 20. As seen in the drawings, thereare two pairs of trolley rollers carried by the tongue 49 by means ofshafts 50 extending through the tongue 49 at spaced locations. One pairof trolley rollers 51 is on one shaft 50 and another pair of trolleyrollers 52 is mounted on another shaft 50 carried by the tongue 49. Thetwo pairs of rollers engage the under surface of the rail portions 19and 20 and are confined between the downwardly extending fiangesthereto. The rollers are rotatably mounted on the respective shafts sothat the rollers give rolling support to the rail 11. In other words,the arcuate rail 11 may move along the are or curve of its formationwhile supported on the two pairs of rollers which in turn are carried bythe trolley carrier.

The portion 53 welded to block 48 extends upwardly therefrom and an eye54 is secured to the upwardly extending portion 53 by means of a bolt55. As seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the eye or shackle 54 is hung on a hook56 which in turn is secured to a chain 57. Chain 57 is suspended from ahoist (not shown). Thus the trolley carrier 13 is hung in a verticalreference line from a hoist or other suitable support.

A sprocket wheel or toothed gear 59 is journaled on the block 48 bymeans of a shaft 61 extending through aligned openings in the block 48.The sprocket wheel 59 is held by a nut-and-bolt assembly 60 extendingthrough the hub portion 59A of the sprocket wheel and through the shaft61 so as to provide nonrotative engagement of the sprocket wheel 59 andthe shaft 61.

Also non-rotatively mounted on shaft 61 is a worm wheel or gear 62 bymeans of a nut-and-bolt assembly 63 securing hub portion 62A of wheel 62to the shaft 61. Rotation of worm wheel 62 causes simultaneous rotationof sprocket wheel 59 with the shaft 61 which is journaled in block 48.

A worm 64 is nonrotatively mounted on shaft 65 by means of nut-and-boltassembly 66 so as to rotate therewith. The shaft 65 is also journaled onthe block 48 so as to be rotatable relative thereto. The axis of shaft65 is in a plane disposed normal to the axis of shaft 61 disposedtherebelow. Worm '64 is enmeshed with the gear teeth of worm wheel 62,in the usual manner whereby rotation of worm 64 causes rotation of wheel62, which in turn rotates shaft 61 and sprocket Wheel 59. The gear ratiobetween worm 64 and wheel 62 is such that shaft 61 rotates at aconsiderably slower speed than does shaft 65, as for example shaft 65preferably rotates at twice, or more preferably at three times, thespeed of rotation of shaft 61. Also the bearing of worm 64 on wheel 62and the friction thereof is such that wheel 62 cannot freely rotateunless and until worm 64 is rotated, and until worm 64 is rotated itprovides the effect of a drag or yieldable resistance to rotation ofwheel 62.

An actuating wheel 67 of the toothed variety is secured on and in axialalignment with shaft 65 by means of set screws 68 interengaging the hubportion 67A of wheel 67 and shaft 65. The actuating wheel has aplurality of equidistantly spaced teeth protruding radially outwardthereof and extending around its peripheral circumference. The teethinterengage with links of an endless chain 69 in such manner that bypulling on the chain 69 in one direction, as by seizing chain portion69A falling from one side of wheel 67 and pulling it downwardly thereon,the wheel 67, shaft 65 and worm 64 are correspondingly rotated in onedirection. Upon pulling downwardly on chain portion 69B falling from theother side of wheel 67, the wheel 67, shaft 65 and worm 64 arecorrespondingly rotated in an opposite direction.

Mounted on the outer or free end of shaft 65 so as to be revolvable orswingable relative thereto, and so that shaft 65 may rotate the rein onits axis, is collar 71. Extending downwardly from the collar 71 is abifurcated arm 72. The ends of the two lower portions of arm 72 carryring or sleeve guides 73, each of which accommodates the portion ofchain 69 on that side of wheel 67. The fit of the chain in the guides 73is such as to freely slide or move therethrough. The guides 73 maintainthe chain 69 on the wheel 67 even though the chain is manually pulled ormoved from below in directions which would normally tend to cause thechain to be displaced from its normal plane and around the wheel 67 andhence to become disengaged from wheel 67 It is to be noted that the axisof wheel 67 and the size and disposition of its circumference are suchthat roughly half of the chain, such as side portion 69A, and anotherroughly half of the chain, such as side portion 69B, is disposed onopposite sides of, and substantially equidistantly from, the verticalplane through the arcuate rail member 11 and through the drum 14 held onthe tilting device by the clamping arrangement shown. This arrangementis such that the chain 69 embraces the tilting device and drum 14 heldthereby so that chain por tion 69A may bear against one side of drum 14and chain portion 69B may bear against the other side of drum 14.

By the axis of wheel 67 being in a plane normal to the axis of shaft 61and by the arrangement of the wheel 67 and chain 69 as shown anddescribed, the tilting device is manipulated and handled more easily.The drum 14 is steadied by being embraced between chain portions 69A and69B when the operator holds the chain 69 from below. Also, the wholetilting device with the drum carried thereby may be easily revolvedaround the axis of the supporting chain 57 by pulling sidewards in anappropriate direction on the lower portion of chain 69. Safety,maneuverability and convenience are greatly enhanced by the arrangementshown and described. Also, the drag and yieldable resistance that isadded, and the gear motion between the worm 64 and worm wheel 62, asheretofore described, add to the safety, utility and practicalimportance of the present improvement.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the posed in a firstplane, holding means carried by the arcuate rail for holding a containerwithin the curve of the rail at an angle to the vertical in accordancewith the tilt of the rail in said first plane relative to the vertical,a trolley carrier movable along the arcuate rail in said first plane andengaging the rail to support the same upon suspension of said carrier,said carrier having a block portion disposed radially outward of therail and in said first plane, a sprocket wheel journaled on said blockportion and having its axial normal to said first plane, asprocket-chain having its ends anchored adjacent opposite ends of saidrail and enmeshed with said sprocket wheel whereby rotation of thesprocket wheel pulls on said sprocket-chain and moves the rail in saidfirst plane relative to said block portion and tilts the rail relativeto the vertical, a rotative member journaled on said block portion andhaving its axis disposed in a plane normal to the axis of said sprocketwheel, gear means carried by the block portion and operativelyconnecting the rotative member and sprocket wheel to turn the sprocketwheel upon rotation of the rotative member, said rotative member havinga circumferential peripheral toothed portion in a second plane normal tosaid first plane and extending beyond the opposite sides of said rail insaid first plane, and an actuating chain enemeshed with the peripheraltoothed portion of said rotative member to rotate the same in accordancewith the direction of pull on said actuating chain, said actuating chainhaving spaced portions extending downwardly from the rotative member onopposite sides of said rail to embrace between said spaced portions ofthe chain a said container carried by said rail.

2. A tilting arc device as claimed in claim 1 and in which said gearmeans includes a worm gear axially aligned with and rotated by therotative member and a pinion gear enmeshed therewith an axially alignedwith and rotatable in unison with said sprocket wheel.

3. A tilting arc device as claimed in claim 1 and in which the axis ofsaid rotative member is disposed substantially in said first plane andthe peripheral toothed portion thereof extends substantially equaldistances from said plane, and the spaced portions of said actuatingchain fall from said peripheral toothed portion substantiallyequidistantly from the opposite sides of said rail.

4. A tilting arc device as claimed in claim 1 and ineluding guide meanscarried by said carrier for slidably guiding the spaced portions of saidactuating chain in moving toward and away from the rotative member andfor providing a bearing against which the actuating chain may bear tomove the carrier upon lateral movement of actuating chain.

5. The combination of a tilting arc member for holding a container totilt the same in a vertical first plane relative to the verticallydisposed actuating mechanism supporting and moving said are member totilt the same in said first plane, a driving mechanism operativelyengaged with said actuating mechanism for operating the same, saidactuating mechanism having a first axis of rotation and said drivingmechanism having a second axis of rotation, said first axis being normalto said first plane and said second axis being disposed substantially insaid first plane, said driving mechanism having a controlling memberpivotal on an axis aligned with said second axis, said controllingmember extending substantially equally on opposite sides of said firstplane whereby a downward pulling force may be applied on either side ofsaid first plane to pivotally turn the same, and down- Wardly extendingflexible elongated member engaged to said controlling member forpivotally turning the same to control the operation of said drivingmechanism, said elongated member having portions disposed on oppositesides of said first plane in position to embrace therebetween acontainer held by the tilting arc member for stabilizing the container.

6. The combination claimed in claim 5 and including worm-and-pinionmeans operatively connecting said actuating mechanism and said drivingmechanism.

7. The combination claimed in claim 5 and in which said controllingmember has a toothed circumferential portion adapted to engage a pullchain for pivotal swinging thereof by pull on said chain, and in whichsaid elongated member is a pull chain enmeshed. with said toothedcircumferential portion.

8. The combination claimed in claim 5 and including a carrier adapted tobe suspended and engaging the arc member for suspending therewith thearc member, said carrier carrying said actuating mechanism and saiddriving mechanism.

9. A tilting arc device as claimed in claim 1 in which said gear meansinclude a worm gear aligned with and rotated by the rotative member anda pinion gear enmeshed therewith and axially aligned with and rotatablein unison with said sprocket wheel, and. in which the axis of saidrotative member is disposed substantially in said first plane and theperipheral toothed portion thereof extends substantially equal distancesfrom said plane, and the spaced portions of said actuating chain fallfrom said peripheral toothed portion substantially equidistantly fromthe opposite sides of said rail, and including guide means carried bysaid carrier for slidably guiding the spaced portions of said actuatingchain in moving toward and away from the rotative member and forproviding a bearing against which the actuating chain may bear to movethe carrier upon lateral movement of the actuating chain.

10. The combination claimed in claim 7 and including a carrier adaptedto be suspended and engaging the arc member for suspending therewith thearc member, said carrier carrying said actuating mechanism and saiddrivin g mechanism.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,913,276 ll/ 1959 Collings.3,075,664 1/1963 Collings 214-658 3,100,123 8/1963 Schmidt 294-403 HUGOO. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

